Infants must be protected from their environment. This protection relates both to the physical environment, i.e., restricting the movement of an infant so as to prevent injury from falls and/or provide a natural, papoose-like sleeping area, and the climatological environment, i.e., ensuring that an infant is protected from changing temperatures. The comfort of the sleeping environment of an infant is extremely important. An infant who is too cold or who is placed on an uncomfortable surface is very likely to have a restless sleep, inadequate duration of sleeping periods, and, in the best case, will be cranky and, in the worst case, unhealthy.
Traveling with infants is often difficult because the amount of accompanying paraphernalia gear required. Parents typically must carry on any trip items such as baby seats, diapers, baby formula, toys, extra clothes, blankets, and bedding. The portability of any one such item is therefore of primordial importance to a parent. Multiple uses of required items also reduces the burden of carrying more baby gear and also provides the infant with a familiar sleeping environment even away from home.